Cupboard beds



H. A. O. SCHULZ CUPBOARD BEDS Nov. 22, 1955 Filed Jan. 15 1951 INVENTOR. fig 0.5010LOZZ United States Patent p CUPBOARD Buns Heinrich Albert Otto Schulz, Goteborg, Sweden f Application J anuary 15, 1951, Serial No. 205,987 Claims priority, application Sweden January 21, 1950 z Claims. cl. -135 This invention relates to certain novel improvements in cupboard beds, where the bed after use can be turned up into a cupboard, a recess in the bedroom wall or the like. t t 'One object of my invention is to provide a bed of the kind which is easy to turn up into a recess of a wall and be automatically maintained there without the use of springs or the like.

Another objectof my. invention is to provide a bed of the kind with an adjustable device to balance the bed on its bearings. i 1

Another object of my invention is to provide a bed of the kind where the bed is mounted in bearings within easilydemountable from the recess A further object of my invention is to provide a doublebed arrangement where the beds mounted to be turned uplinto the recess of the wall or the like can be used the recess of the wall in such a way that the bed is alternatively without any inconvenience. 1

construction and in which: i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a single bed according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a double bed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a bearing arrangement for the single bed, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a bearing foot for the double bed;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the double bed in upright position, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section ofthe corresponding wall recess showing one bed in horizontal position and the other bed in upright position;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a portion of a counterweight belonging to each bed, on a somewhat larger scale, and

Fig. 8 a partial section view of Fig. 7.

The invention as shown in Fig. 1 is embodied in a single bed 1. The bed is constructed in the form of a double-armed lever pivotally mounted on a U-shaped bearing foot 2 shown in Fig. 3 which is fastened at the bottom of a wall recess 3 or a cupboard or the like. The inner end 5 of the bed is situated in said recess in the horizontal position of the bed as seen in Fig. 1, and the bed can be turned up into the recess 3 because of the pivotal mounting. To the inner end 5 of the bed there is fixed a U-shaped holder 8 shown in Fig. 3 gripping the end 5 with its legs which are provided with slots 10, 10', respectively, extending longitudinally of the bed. Into these slots 10, 10', there are received horizontal bearing pins 9, 9, respectively of the bearing foot 2 to 'ice carry the bed. One end 11 of each of the slots 10, 10' is open and situated opposite the inner wall of the recess 3 when the bed is in horizontal position, and the other end portion of each slot is bent upwards so that the bearing pinin this end portion supports the bed in asomewhat lowered position and in such a way that it is secured to the bearing foot 2. On account of the said open ends of the two slots the. bed when lifted up somewhat may be easily drawn from the bearing pins 9, 9 and so be demounted from the wall recess.

A double-bed arrangement according to the invention is shown in Fig. 2. This double bed consists of two single beds 1', 1" the bed being provided with end holders 8 of the same construction as shown in Fig. 3. These two single beds are placed at the side of each other in common wall recess 3 and have a common bearing foot 2 shown separately in Fig. 4. This bearing foot 2 is like the bearing foot 2 in Fig. 3 for a single bed, provided with two end bearing pins 9, 9', but has also a central portion 7 with two other bearing pins 12, 12', one for each single bed, to carry the bedsteads in coaction with the end pins 9, 9'. As the two beds of the double bed have a common recess 3 it is intended that the two bed bottoms 14', 14" together are to cover the recess opening when the beds are turned up into the wall recess. Therefor the longitudinal edges of the beds which are opposite each other have to be positioned close to each other but preferably without contact. In the horizontal position of the beds the rear ends of these longitudinal edges of the bottoms 14, 14" lie be-, hind the bearing pins 12, 12' of the central portion 1 and beneath said pins, and to make this possible the central portion 7 of the bearing foot 2' is provided with a deep notch 13 in its forward edge to give room for said bottoms.

On the rear side of the end holder 8 there is mounted a counterweight 4 (Fig. 3). This counterweight 4 is placed in such a position that in the upright position of the bed the main portion of the weight lies on the inner side of a vertical plane (not shown). through the central line of the bearing pins 9, 9', viz. between said plane and the rear wall of the recess 3. The result will be that the counterweight 4 maintains the bed in the upright position and the bed will not by its own weight fall out of the recess.

p In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the counterweight 4 is built up of a suitable number of minor weights 4, 4" etc. in a row on a rod 6. In this way the counterweight is adjustable and may easily be built up to a suitable total weight. The rod 6 may suitably have the cross section of a T extending from a plate 15 attached to the rear end of the holder 8, and the weights may have corresponding notches and be separated by fibre plates 16 to avoid clatter noises. A tightening nut may hold the weights together.

The counterweight may alternatively consist of a container filled for instance with pulverized material. To regulate the weight for a filled container materials with different specific gravity may be used.

In order to avoid shocks against an upper stopping edge 17 when the bed is turned to upright position a damper shown in the embodiment of Fig. 6 is used in the shape of a small cylinder 18 embedded into the bottom of the recess. A piston acts upon an air cushion within the cylinder 18 and a piston rod has an outer head 19 in such a position that the counterweight strikes the head 19 and presses the same downwards against the air cushion when the bed is moving to upright position thus damping a too sudden movement. The damper also has the advantage that the same assists to maintain the bed in upright position. Although the air cushion is the preferred suitable arrangement it may be replaced by a spring or by plates of elastic materials.

In horizontal position the outer end of the beds 1', 1" rests on the floor 20 by legs 21. These legs 21 are, as shown in the drawing, shaped like handles. In, this Way the bottoms 14 14 of the beds 1', 1" when in upright position appear to be doors giving the bedroom a suitable appearance (Fig. 5).

In the double-bed arrangement of Figs. 2 and 6 with the two single beds in a common recess there is the inconvenience that when only one bed is used the other upright bed is visible from the side To meet this inconvenience a roller blind 22 is mounted within the recess between the two beds to be drawn down to hide the visible side of the upright bed.

The bedsteadconstruction described above has several advantages. On account of. the counterweight regulated to balance the bedstead with the bedclothes there is the need of only a small force to turn up the bed into upright position and the bed is automatically maintained in this position by the certain position of the counterweight and will not fall down accidentally. No stopping shocks occur when the bed reaches its upright position. The bed is easily mounted into and demounted from the wallrecess. The bed or beds are in upright position eflectively concealedv within the, wall recess or cupboard and the bedroom has a fashionable appearance with no hints of the' hiding place as the bed bottoms appear like wall doors. In the double-bed arrangement a single bed can bev used without the other bed being visible.

While I have illustrated and described certain preferred forms of construction for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable of variations without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to'the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In abed adapted to be turned frorna horizontal position into an upright position in a recess having a pair of trunnions mounted on upright arms of afoot plate in said recess, respectively, said bed having an end holder in its inner end having a pair of slots in the sides of the bed, respectively, the forward ends of the slots being bent upwardly and closed and the rear ends of the slots being open, said trunnions being constantly disposed in said slots, respectively, said bed being so pivoted on said trunnions as to provide a two-armed lever, one end of which is disposed in said. recess and provided with counter-weights so removably. mounted on the rear end of the bed that'more than one-half of the mass of said counter-weights is disposed, when...the.bedl is in its upright position, between a vertical plane through said trunnions and the inner wall of-said recess.

2. A bed, according to claim 1, in which one of said arms is provided with a. second trunnion on its side pp e S d first t unni n, a d sai oot p at has a t d upright r Pro ided t a nnion t carry a second bed, said arm with the two. trunnions having a recess in its forward edge below the two trunnionsto afford space for the bpttorn'edges of the two bedsin their horizontal positions. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

